May 2, 2024
BRUNSWICK, Ga. – At Marshes of Glynn Baptist Church in Brunswick, pastor Darrell Joiner is seeing the results of focusing on discipleship, evangelism, and service to the community.
When Joiner was called to the church in November 2020, he says the average Sunday attendance was about 35. Today, Sunday School and Sunday services attract more than 100, and the church continues to grow. Since January 2023, the church has added 43 new members and witnessed 18 baptisms.
In anticipation of further growth, the church is building a new worship center that will seat 250 to 300 people.
Marty Youngblood, Georgia Baptist Mission Board regional Pastor Wellness catalyst, says, “The church has not only grown numerically, but the spirit and the energy in their worship on Sunday mornings is very encouraging.”
When asked about what he thinks is behind the church’s vitality, Joiner credits the Lord with growing the church, saying he is ”honored to be a servant of Jesus Christ.” However, he adds that Christians must do their part as God leads them to share the gospel.
Joiner refers to a passage in The Resurrected Jesus by David Limbaugh. Writing about the book of Ephesians, Limbaugh says Christians must do more than just read the book and agree with what Paul says. The church needs to, “dive in, partake of His divine glory” and ultimately pray for the Spirit to lead it in advancing Christ’s kingdom for His glory.
When Joiner came to Marshes of Glynn, the pastor had resigned and then the COVID pandemic hit. During that entire time, Marshes of Glynn stayed open, though church members followed social distancing guidelines, and never stopped meeting in person. They held Wednesday night meetings, Sunday School and Sunday services. Joiner believes God is “blessing and honoring” the church’s perseverance during that difficult time.
Though difficult, Joiner says the pandemic led to greater creativity and inspiration in methods of sharing the message of Christ. The church now has a Youtube channel and has been live streaming Wednesday and Sunday services since May 2021.
Fellowship is a key focus of Joiner’s leadership. He stresses the importance of being a part of an association (Marshes of Glynn is part of the Golden Isles Baptist Network) to support and encourage fellow pastors. Joiner also participates in events hosted by the Georgia Baptist Mission Board, in particular the evangelism conferences and Pastor Wellness ministry events.
He recalls a recent evangelism conference, where it was shared that 80% of the people of Georgia are lost. That number impacted Joiner’s heart, and he shared it with his church and keeps reminding members of that fact. That is why they need to “proclaim the truth,” he stresses.
Joiner says he will seek out and use any opportunity to get people in to the church to share the gospel.
One way in which the church proclaims the gospel is through its various ministries to grieving and hurting people in the community.
There is a Restoration and Recovery group that ministers to addicts and alcoholics. Joiner says there is a huge addiction problem in the community, and he told church members, “We can’t complain about the problem if we’re not working to solve it.”
There is a grief ministry that Joiner says is not just for widows and orphans. “We are all suffering some loss,” he explains, not necessarily the loss of a loved one.
And there is a ministry for veterans and first responders. Joiner began the Foxhole Veteran’s Healing Ministry to honor a pastor friend who was also a United States Marine corps veteran of Vietnam. That friend, Joiner shared, suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, and PTSD can impact police, fire, and rescue personnel, not just soldiers. The group currently consists of about a dozen people who come to a weekly Bible study where they can share their experiences with peers.
Youngblood, whose son was a US Army Ranger, is particularly thankful for the church’s ministry to veterans. “I know all too well that after combat it’s difficult for these men to reengage in day-to-day life,” he says “Having Christian men who not only show the love of Christ but have been there and done that is a tremendous way to reach our veterans for Jesus.”
On Palm Sunday, Joiner shared a message entitled, “What’s all the noise?” where he described Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem as the people sang His praises. Those He had healed, those He had fed, those He had freed from demons all joined the throng to “make noise” for Jesus.
Although he will turn 70 years old this year, Joiner says he does not intend to slow down. Just like those early believers, Joiner proclaims, “We need to make some noise about Jesus!”
